People's Market.
Many small vendors were agitated, no longer in the mood to sell New Year goods. At the entrance of the People's Department Store, a God of Wealth was giving away candy by the handful; as long as your pockets could hold it, no matter how much you filled, it was yours. Free! Who wouldn't be envious of such good fortune!
Soon, word spread that the thermal flasks, usually ten yuan each in the department store, were selling for only nine, and there was a chance to win a prize. You could easily win a towel, and if you were lucky, even a 21-inch color TV. This was truly a windfall from heaven, and everyone was thrilled. Some had already begun packing up their stalls, preparing to try their luck. New Year's Eve was only a half-day market anyway, and with noon approaching, staying open wouldn't earn much more. Seeing others pack up to try their luck, the rest became even more agitated, and in moments, half the stalls were closed.
The steamed bun vendor, watching others head for the lottery, was so anxious his heart felt like it was being scratched by a hundred claws. He snapped at Xiao Qingzhu, "I guess your husband must have run off. If you don't have money, don't eat buns. How shameless!"
The owner of Happiness Restaurant was equally frantic. "You two are truly audacious, daring to eat in a restaurant, eating big fish and meat, with no money! Just wait, you'll be spending New Year's in jail. The man's a hooligan, and the woman's no good either!"
Li Fulin returned after calling the police, having also heard about the color TV lottery at the People's Department Store entrance. He wanted to go several times, but recalling the slap from Lu Changqing earlier, his teeth itched with hatred. He decided to send the mother and daughter inside first. However, watching others gleefully heading to the lottery, his hatred for Lu Changqing intensified. He vented all his anger on Xiao Qingzhu: "The man's a convict! A hooligan! The woman's shameless, and the child's just as rotten. How did I end up encountering such a disgusting family? You made me lose time from the color TV lottery. What are you crying about? Someone like you still has the nerve to cry? If it were me, I'd just jump off a building and be done with it."
*Wuwuwu…*
Xiao Qingzhu sobbed uncontrollably, holding Tongtong tightly in her arms. Her hatred for Lu Changqing had reached its peak. Being humiliated like this, she thought, was worse than hanging herself at home. Tongtong also cried out at the top of her lungs, "My dad will come back! He'll give you money! My dad isn't a convict! My dad is a good person; he was framed! Don't you dare insult my dad!"
Li Fulin sneered, mocking, "Your dad is a convict, a hooligan through and through. I saw it with my own eyes when the police arrested him. He fooled you. Remember this today, your dad is a convict, not a good person. And he doesn't have a single penny on him. Even if you cry yourself to death, he won't come back. If he comes back, I'll let him slap me a hundred times."
No sooner had he finished speaking than an angry roar echoed: "Then let *me* slap you a hundred times!"
Lu Changqing had just arrived when he heard Li Fulin's malicious, serpentine words. His teeth instantly clenched in rage. What a scoundrel, saying such things to a little girl. With a furious roar, he pounced.
Li Fulin, seeing Lu Changqing's return, was momentarily stunned by surprise. Lu Changqing didn't wait for him to react, directly tackling Li Fulin to the ground, raising his hand, and slapping him.
*Pa!* The crisp sound of a slap traveled more than ten meters.
The steamed bun vendor felt the pain just watching, instinctively covering his own face. The owner of Happiness Restaurant involuntarily took a step back. Xiao Qingzhu's eyes were blurred with tears, her vision hazy. Her heart had already given up hope, but when she saw Lu Changqing appear, her tears gushed even more fiercely. Her body trembled slightly with emotion. He came back... he really came back... he didn't abandon us... *wuwuwu…*
*Pa! Pa! Pa!*
Lu Changqing straddled Li Fulin, furiously slapping his face. One blow after another, each ringing loudly.
"Ah! Ow! My face... You dare hit me! Stop! Blood!" Li Fulin's screams pierced the sky, as shrill as a pig being slaughtered.
Lu Changqing's mind constantly replayed the scene of seeing Tongtong when he came home. The little girl, tied up like a dog. Shivering from the cold. Crying from hunger. Pathetic like a child without parents... so pitiful it made anyone shed tears... All of this was caused by this man's false accusation. The more he thought, the more frantically his hands slapped. As if possessed, he struck again and again.
Xiao Qingzhu, seeing this, was terrified and rushed to pull him away. "Stop hitting him! You can't hit him anymore! I don't want you to go to jail again! Our child can't be without a father!"
How could Lu Changqing stop? He hit even more wildly. Finally, Xiao Qingzhu hugged Lu Changqing's arm, and Tongtong also joined in. Tongtong cried out, "Daddy, stop hitting! Mama says stop!"
Lu Changqing only stopped when he heard Tongtong's childish voice. After dozens of slaps, his hand was numb. He exhaled continuously, panting as he stood up. The few vendors who were packing up their stalls nearby stared, dumbfounded by the scene.
The steamed bun vendor's face was grim. He didn't say a word, nor did he dare bring up the matter of the buns. Tongtong hugged Lu Changqing's leg, crying, "Daddy's back! I knew Daddy would come back! I knew Daddy wasn't bad, and wouldn't abandon Tongtong and Mama..."
Lu Changqing's eyes welled up. Li Fulin's words earlier had been awful, and such a young child had to witness such a scene. His heart felt even more guilty. "I'm sorry, Daddy came back late. It's all Daddy's fault. Daddy isn't a good daddy, but Daddy promises you that no one will ever insult you again."
Li Fulin, his face bruised and swollen, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, struggled to his feet. He pointed at Lu Changqing. "You're penniless! Eating buns, eating big fish and meat, with no money to pay. I've already called the police. And now you've hit me! Just wait! The police will arrest your whole family. You'll go back to jail, just wait!"
Hearing the mention of money, Xiao Qingzhu felt as if she'd fallen into an ice cave, despairing once more. What was the use of him coming back? He still had no money! The owner of Happiness Restaurant clicked his tongue, wanting to demand money, but didn't dare speak. Lu Changqing had been too furious; he was afraid of being hit and just wanted the police to arrive quickly.
The steamed bun vendor, still thinking about the lottery for the color TV, mustered his courage. "I sell buns. You have to pay for buns. Since you don't have money, then tell me how you're going to handle this! Otherwise, you can't leave."
Lu Changqing casually glanced at the steamed bun vendor, then fixed his icy gaze on Li Fulin. "You say I have no money? That's laughable. I have so much money, I could bury you with it!"
Li Fulin snorted, his mouth twitching, pulling at the wound, and he hissed in pain, sucking in a cold breath. Covering his face, he said, "You really know how to brag! If you had two yuan to give the bun seller, I wouldn't have even called the police. And bury me with money? I've never seen anyone buried with money in my life! Just wait! The police will be here any minute. You're going back to jail."
Lu Changqing placed his travel bag on the ground. "Buns are two yuan, right? I'll pay now." With that, he reached out and pulled open the zipper.
*Clatter!* The travel bag opened, revealing a bag full of banknotes. One-yuan notes, two-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, ten-yuan notes, and also fifty and hundred-yuan notes. An entire bag full of money.
The scene instantly fell silent. The steamed bun vendor's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Staring at the bag of money, his mind went blank with shock. He had never seen so much money in his life. How could anyone in the world have so much money?
The owner of Happiness Restaurant's mouth hung open like a small scoop. Looking at the bag of money, a storm raged in his heart. His tiny heart trembled like a small boat in surging waves. The small vendors watching nearby were all dumbfounded, stunned into silence. Like they'd seen a ghost. Frozen in place.
*Thump!* Xiao Qingzhu collapsed to the ground in fright, her mind a blank. She thought her husband had no money, but now he had money. But this was too much! So much that she trembled all over with fear.
Li Fulin was aghast. Looking at the bag of money, it felt unreal, like a dream. "Impossible? How could you have so much money? Absolutely impossible? I don't believe it! This isn't real!"
Lu Changqing casually grabbed a handful of money and threw it at the steamed bun vendor's face. "Here's your bun money! The extra is for New Year's good luck!" He grabbed another handful and threw it to the owner of Happiness Restaurant. "This is yours."
Both men, hit in the face with money, couldn't stop grinning. Lu Changqing looked at Li Fulin. "Didn't you say you've never seen anyone buried with money? I want to bury you with money! Do you want me to?"
Li Fulin paused. He had just seen Lu Changqing throw money at the steamed bun vendor and the restaurant owner. Each time it was at least a hundred yuan, a huge sum. He was a little envious, but he had framed this guy. Would he really throw money at *him*? He probably wouldn't let him off easy! His mind raced with wild thoughts, then he deliberately snorted. "Bury me with money? I still don't believe it! I don't believe money can kill someone!" Considering how Lu Changqing had thrown money at the bun vendor and the restaurant owner, even if he threw the entire bag of money, he wouldn't die. There was nothing to worry about.
Lu Changqing's lips curled into a cold smile. "Alright, since you don't believe it. Then I'll show you!"
After speaking, Lu Changqing bent down and zipped up the bag. With both hands, he lifted the bag of money and charged towards Li Fulin.